Beijing insists it has met its commitments to “suspend or cancel” its nontariff retaliatory measures to Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs. China announced restrictions on seven rare earths and magnets on April 4, although it never officially said this was in retaliation.

China has stopped almost all shipments of critical minerals that are needed for cars, robots, wind turbines, jet fighters and other technologies.

The European Union has urged China to ease restrictions on rare earth materials – critical for everything from cars to washing machines – after Beijing’s export controls disrupted supplies and triggered production turmoil across industries in Europe and America.